She's My Queen

Chapter 14: Stay With Me

"So what's going to happen to Edward?" I whisper, my mind reeling. "If James died in place of Edward, does that mean he's safe now?"

"I don't know," Calchantis's face darkens. "This is what I was warning you about. Now you've altered history, and I have no idea what's going to happen."

"But why would James sacrifice himself for Edward? There has to be a reason..." I squeeze my eyes shut and groan, feeling a headache building up in the back of my skull. "What if he came back to save Edward? Be-because Edward needs to stay alive? Maybe something terrible will happen with his death?" I look up at Calchantis with hopeful eyes, "Maybe that's why I'm here?"

"If Edward dies," Calchantis says in a firm, slow voice, "the world will stay the same. The way it was before you arrived."

"B-but it's just one death. What difference does it make?"

"Edward's not just anyone. He's a king. He is history. His death is history. If anything changes with his life, it will ripple through time and there will be changes. Big changes."

"I can't deal with this right now," I whisper, standing up on wobbly legs. "I have to go."

"Wait," he grabs my arm. "You're not going to see him, are you?"

"I just need to talk to him." I shake off Calchantis's arm. "You should leave."

"Listen to me!" Calchantis's eyes are blazing. "You're getting more and more attached to him. You need to. Stop."

"I know," I stare down at my hands, feeling tears pool up in my eyes, "I just want to say goodbye."

"Alright," Chalcantis hands me a slip of paper, "there's a cottage not far from the palace. I'll have someone pick you up at midnight. Remember, you cannot stay."
————————

"Edward?" I call out, pushing open the heavy double doors to Edward's room. The two guards outside his room eye me suspiciously. I smile at them awkwardly as the door swings closed behind me. 

I gasp when I turn around and see Edward covered in blood on the floor.

"Catherine?" Edward sounds startled as he stares up at me. "I did not give you permission to enter. You shouldn't be barging into my room like this." His face is as cold as his voice.

I gawk at him. "I don't think that's the problem right now. What happened to you?"

"Oh," he glances down at himself. "It's not my blood."

"Edward..." I whisper, worried. "Tell me what's going on. When I saw you in the garden last time, you were covered in blood too."

Edward looks away from me. "It's nothing."

"Don't push me away again, please," I take his hand and squeezes it, "whatever it is. You can tell me."

"I can't." He pulls his hand away.

"Yes, you can."

"No," his voice breaks, "I don't want you to hate me."

"I could never hate you."

We're both silent for a few minutes. Finally, Edward turns to me. His deep blue eyes are shaking, showing a vulnerability I've never seen in him before. "I was executing protestants."

It takes me a minute to process his words. "So...the blood..."

"Yes, Catherine. It's their blood. And yes, I killed them myself. And I felt nothing...like always." He walks into the bathroom, grabs a wet washcloth and begins to wipe blood off himself. He glances over at me. "What? You scared now?"

I guess it's part of a king's job to kill traitors? I mean, it's not like he's killing people for fun... "I'm not scared," I walk over to him and take the washcloth. "Here. I'll help you."

"Thanks." He watches me intently as I wipe at his chest.

"Why are you doing that?" I ask him.

"Huh?"

"Why are you staring at me?"

"Because you're beautiful."

I blush.

I work the washcloth down his body slowly, and we fall into a comfortable silence.

As I am wiping his right arm, he suddenly grabs my hand. I yelp and drop the washcloth, startled. He presses my hand again his chest and leans his face down towards mine.

"W-what are you dong," I stammer.

"Will you stay with me?" he whispers.

"Uh... I guess. I can stay until you're all cleaned up..."

"No," he wraps his arms around me, drawing me tight against him, "stay with me, not just for now, forever."

And I want to say yes, but I have to leave tonight...